New Beer Friday 12/28/18

On a personal note, I'd like to say thanks to all of you that still bother to stop by the Utah Beer Blog for all of you local beer news; even though the content is not as free flowing as it once was, I hope 2019 will allow for more time to get you all of the exclusive beer news that you crave.

This was a record year for Utah's beer scene, we welcomed Toasted Barrel Brewery, SaltFire Brewing Co., Policy Kings Brewery, Cerveza Zólopez Beer Co., T.F. Brewing, Roosters' B Street Brewery and St. George's Silver Reef Brewing Co.; Sugar House's brand new Hopkins Brewing Co. is scheduled to open on Dec. 31. And if all goes as planned you can expect to see at least another 6 or 7 breweries in 2019. So please stay close and please have a safe 2019. Now On to New Beer Friday.

Even in a week where generally nothing happens, you can always rely on a few breweries to step up and get us some new beers. It's not a huge New Beer Friday, but it's enough to wrap up a pretty great year for beer,

2 Row English Brown: This has a beautiful ruby/brown color that is brilliantly clear, with a moderate to thin amount of foam on top. The aroma has plenty of malts with toffee, caramel and nutty bread. Not as nutty as you'd expect from some brown ales. The taste is full of toffee, toasted crackers and some dark fruits from the malt. A nice winter brew that is the perfect change of pace from a brewery that is known for it's hoppy beers. 5.5% - Available at 2 Row

Kiitos Pro/Am Winter Porter: The first of Kiitos’ Pro/Am Series. This 7% Porter is brewed with coconut, coffee and cocoa nibs and was brewed in collaboration with Salt Lake City homebrewer Andrew Frost. Frosted Morning Pow Porter won a gold medal at the 10th Annual Beehive Brewoff. The result is a chocolatey Porter that isn’t too sweet but has notes of coconut and vanilla to round it out. Coffee comes through more as it warms. Very drinkable with alcohol that is well hidden. Damn tasty. Found at Kiitos and Beer Bar.

Ommegang 20th Anniversary: I didn't have the stamina for a 11.1% beer; not to mention it comes in a 750ml bottle. Look for a beer that has dark fruits blended with wood, molasses and a little chocolate with definite bourbon notes. Found at Beer Bar. I'm also hearing it's at some DABC stores.

Cheers!

A Winter Solstice New Beer Friday

It's a special "Resilience" New Beer Friday this week. When Sierra Nevada Brewing Company put the call out to breweries to help raise much needed support for the victims of the California "Camp Fires". Breweries from all over the country stepped up to contribute by producing a special beer that would help fund recovery efforts. The beer is called Resilience IPA. Sierra Nevada, along with Utah's Salt Flats and Uinta Breweries brewed up individual batches of this special beer with 100 percent of the proceeds from each breweries going to this special cause. These beers are limited in supply so don't wait too long or you will miss your chance.

Uinta - Resilience IPA: Pours an amber color with a white head with decent retention and leaves some lacing on the glass. Smells of bready malt and floral, citrusy hops. Citrusy, floral hops lead the way with lots of grapefruit flavor. A bit of sweetness in the strong malt backbone is overshadowed by the firm bitterness. Medium bodied. Available tomorrow at 11am at the Uinta Brewhouse Pub in 32oz Crowlers. Get there early folks because this one will be gone super quick. $8 - all proceeds benefiting the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund.  Uinta will also be contributing portion of proceeds from items purchased at their retail store and any additional 4.0% Crowler fills to-go from the pub.

Salt Flats - Resilience: Pours a clear copper with a white head. Smells of pine, hops, light citrus, and some malt. Tastes of tons of pine, fresh and bitter hops, light citrus zest, and a nice malt balance. Medium in body and carbonation. Overall a pretty good session IPA. This 4.0% version of Resilience is currently out and available at Salt Flats and the Garage Grill in Draper. As with the Uinta version, 100% of the sales from this beer go to the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund.

Salt Flats - Tank Slapper Double Rye IPA: Aroma is spicy rye, bready malt, floral and piney hops backed by citrus. Taste is bitter across the tongue with grapefruit, piney and peppery hops. The malt comes in next with the spicy rye and a caramel malt sweetness. The finish is clean, grapefruity and peppery. 9.0%. Available at Salt Flats and the Garage Grill.

Uinta - Experimental IPA: I haven't had this one yet, it will debut this morning. This IPA is loaded with Citra & El Dorado Hops. 6.5%. In an effort to raise more money for the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund. Uinta is also donating 100% of of the money from this beer as well.

Epic - Experimental NEIPA: from Epic’s R&D department. The aroma is a blend of mango, peach, and other tropical fruit. On the tongue you get mandarin oranges, bananas, and peaches. It's like a sort of tropical fruit punch. The mouth is resinous and sticky. Available in Epic's high point growlers until they last.

Squatters - Outer Daarrgness: This Rum Barrel aged version of Outer Darkness has a nose of cherry, chocolate, rum and maple. The taste is a nice mix of rum, maple syrup, dark fruits, molasses, and milk chocolate. Mouth is nice and full. Overall, an outstanding stout. 11.6%. Available at the Beer Store

Fisher - The Great White: It smells of bitter, and slightly dank pine needles, peppy orange and white grapefruit rind. Crackers and doughy pale malt come next with the addition of leafy and tropical fruit hops. The finish has leafy pine resins. 6.7%. Available at Fisher starting today at 10am. Very Limited.

Proper - Coffee Pale Ale: Definitely starts with big coffee upfront, immediately it transitions into dry malts with floral/piney hops. It’s like having two beers in one glass. Finishes quite dry. Love the coffee selection. 4.0%. Available at Proper.

Zólupez Stout: This malty stout is spiced with three chile peppers (pasilla, del arbol, habanero) each leaving different hints of bitter herbs and citrus. It’s spicy hot and unfiltered, so best to enjoy with food, not alone. Brewed with actual chocolate- your palate with recognize it. Bottle condition fermentation. 6.97%. Available Saturday at Cerveza Zolupez.

Cheers and Hoppy Holidays!

New Beer Friday 12/14/18

Are you wondering if you're actually experiencing New Beer Friday? If so, I'd like to introduce to you the new 'New Beer Friday' test applicator from Utah Beer Labs. Simply drink a beer and pee (not on yourself) on the applicator, then throw it away and check the Utah Beer Blog for updates. Happy Friday!      

Squatters - War on Xmas: This nitro porter is infused with orange and orange peel. The orange part is super subtle with the base beer doing most of the work. The porter is mostly chocolate with a bit of coffee. hints of orange in the finish. Very tasty. 4.0% - Available at Squatters

Kiitos - Holiday Ale: You can smell this one coming a mile a way as cinnamon explodes from the rim of the glass. This basically reminds me of a ginger snap cookie with subtle malts and a lot of spice. It finishes "snappy" and prickly. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos  

Toasted Barrel - Barrel Aged Sour: I missed out on this one, but I hope to have tasting notes later this afternoon when New Beer Friday joins Mick and Allen on KBER101at 3:30pm.

Shades Brewing- O.J. Simcoe: This new IPA is obviously driven with Simcoe hops. It's in that gray area between pale ale and IPA. Lots of citrus fruitiness with light tropical notes. Finishes softly bitter and dry. Super quaffable at 5.5%. Available starting today at Shades Brewing

Proper - Ahern Nut Brown: Nuttty and toasty caramel dominate this ale. Great balance with just enough floral/pine bitterness to balance it out. Finishes with bread like toastiness. Very Yummy. 4.0% - Available at Proper Brewing.

Mare Island - Hydraulic Sandwich: Orange peel and grapefruit in the nose. The taste has a good dose of tropical fruit-like hops with citrus and caramel rounding it out. Medium bitterness in the finish. 7.1% - Available at DABC.

Ritual - Art of Dankness: Aromas of berries, melon and citrus combine with bandy sweet malt. It tastes very sweet and malty up front with notes of fresh bread and sugar. The back end has a fruitiness from the hops that imparts a flavors of berries and fresh grass. Finishes a bit malty. 9.2% - Available at DABC.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/7/18

You won't want to leave your beer unattended this week; as we have great selection of local beers that cover damn near every flavor profile a beer nerd could hope for. Have a great weekend!

Avenues Proper - Ivar the Boneless: This is a Sahti; it's an old world beer style that hails from Finland and normally uses no hops. This beer has a pilsner like feel with hints of must rye and toast. Instead of hop bittereness your met with subtle notes of licorice and anise. As far as I know nobody in the market has ever made a Sahti; It's a beer worth getting to know. 4.0% - Available only at Avenues Proper 

RoHa - Millennium Falcon Pale Ale: The taste is malt-forward - sweet with a roasty touch. A subtle touch of hops give the finish an herbal/leafy dryness to balance the sweetness and the mild roast. 4.0% - Available at RoHa.

2 Row - Jalapeno Sour: A lot of people have been cocking their heads when they hear about this beer. It actually came together just fine. The flavor starts lemony tart; not too bracing as to not be quite so acidic. The pepper element is fairly subtle with the Jalapeno's meat driving the show flavor wise. On a heat scale I'd put this at a solid 4 out of 10. Worth checking out. 5.3% - Available at better beer pubs and of course at 2 Row. 

T.F. Brewing - Schwartzbier: Super dark black body, fluffy off white bubbly head that lingers. Huge roasty aroma and flavor with hints of coffee bean, subtle dark chocolate along with clean and crisp  biscuity malts. A slight hint of floral hops in the finish. A damn tasty black bier. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing. 

Fisher - Ledge Hole IPL: The nose was dominated by citrus hops - grapefruit stood out. The taste copies the nose with citrusy and piney flavors - grapefruit and lemon. Mouth feel is light-medium bodied with a lingering hoppy aftertaste - but not too bitter. Very Nice. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Wasatch - Chocolate Coffee Cream: The aroma features wheat crackers and mild coffee. The flavor has notes of milk chocolate, wheat thins, mild coffee and toffee. The mouthfeel is very light with spritzy carbonation. Overall this is a really tasty beer - quite light in body, but with nice layers of flavor, enjoyable like a light coffee drink. 4.0% - Available in cans at the Utah Brewers Cooperative.

Tune in to KBER 101 as we discuss these and other beers with Mick and Allenat at 3:30pm today.

Cheers!

Utah Breweries Brew Resilience IPA For "Camp Fire" Relief

Salt Flats and Uinta Brewing have joined in a nation-wide fundraising effort created by Sierra Nevada Brewery to support the impacted by the “The Camp Fire” in Paradise, California. 

As you may know, on November 8th, the Camp Fire broke out near the town of Paradise, California, and within minutes raged through the community, obliterating a football field per second of everything in its path, destroying nearly 10,000 homes, killing many residents and leveling the town

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has created a beer called Resilience India Pale Ale, and asked other breweries to join in the effort; Utah's Own Salt Flats Brewing and Uinta Brewing have answered the call.
of 27,000 people. It is the most destructive wildfire in California's history.
Both breweries  have already brewed their versions of Resilience IPA and each brewery will allocate 100% of the total sales of this special IPA and donate to support those who have been impacted by
The Camp Fire.

Both Salt Flats and Uinta brewed Resilience IPA on November 27th and will have it available on or around December 14, 2018.

Look for the Salt Flats version at Toscano, Garage Grill, and Salt Flats Taproom while Uinta's can be found at their Brew House Pub.



Kudos to the Salt Flats and Uinta for getting on board with this special brew.


Cheers!

New Beer Friday 11/30/18

New Beer Friday this week is brought to you by Utah's Solstice Malts. For no other reason than their grains are all up in your beers this week.

*Just Added Uinta - Migrator: This Beer is a dopplebock aged in Bourbon barrels. Right off the bat you get rich caramel and toffee. Next up you get a hint of roasted malts, then the bourbon kicks in adding complex vanilla and wood flavors. Finishes a tad sweet with not too much heat. Medium mouthfeel. 8.0% - Available at Uinta.

RoHa - Shambo Juicy IPA: The nose has pungent citrus peel and vague tropical fruits. The taste follows with sweet malts more orange and grapefruit flavors. Finishes with a hint of bitterness. 6.5% - available starting today at RoHa.

Proper SMaSH Lager with Grüngeist Hops: This is a nice bitter lager made with Solstice malts. The malt Profile is on the toasty side with minimal sweetness. The Grüngeist hops are grassy and herbal with a slight citrus quality. If you love a dry lager, you’ll dig this. 4.0% - available at Proper. 

Squatters - SMaSH Kölsch: This beer is made with Solstice malts also. It’s light and toasty with more pronounced malt sweetness. The hops are more subtle making this a more malt forward Kölsch. Light and refreshing. 4.0% - available at Squatters downtown. 

TF Brewing - Barton’s Blonde Ale: This is much like Cream Ale with sweet malts and some nutty qualities. The hops have that classic German grassiness. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing. 

Cheers! 

Welcome Hopkins Brewing Company to the Utah Beer Family

When T.F. Brewing opened its doors a few weeks ago, most of us thought that Salt Lake City had seen its last brewery of 2018 open it's doors. We were wrong. Due to a serendipitous set of circumstances we had a new SLC brewery go online yesterday which brings Utah's yearly total to six new breweries this year (SaltFire, Toasted Barrel, Policy Kings, Cerveza Zoulupes and T.F. Brewing) and there are still two breweries on deck ready to go by the end of the year.

We'll get back to the other two in moment; for now let's talk about brewery number six, Hopkins Brewing Co. The man behind the beer (pictured above) is Chad Hopkins, a local home brewer that has decided to join the fray and up his beer game.

If the space looks familiar, it should. It's the former Epic Sugar House location. Technically the building and brew house are still leased/owned by Epic Brewing; Hopkins worked out a deal to take over the space which has been fraught with an identity crisis since it opened as the Annex in 2013. Hopkins looks to breath new life into the location and will also bring a fresh perspective to the beers and it's Sugar House neighborhood.

Epic just secured a full bar license for the property on Tueday, so it looks like Hopkins Brewing will be an adult only brewpub. More specifics will be made clear in the coming weeks. Congrats to Chad on his first brew day and for getting Utah's sixth brewery of 2018 online. Stay close for the announcement the opening day.

Earlier I mentioned two other other breweries that will be going on line before the end of this year; Roosters' B Street Brewery in Ogden will begin brewing next week and Saint George's Silver Reef Brewing should be going on line pretty close to the same time as well.

Roosters just secured their Liquor license on Tuesday as well and will likely be open as soon as this weekend. So if you're keeping track and if all goes as planned, that will be eight new breweries in Utah for 2018. That's enough to make this old beer nerd all misty-eyed n' shit. Please keep checking back for updates on all of these new beer havens.

Prost!

Photo credit: Hopkins Brewing Co.

The Utah Brew Fest Promises a Unique Craft Brew Experience this Weekend

Workshops, seminars and guest speakers will combine with craft beer, spirits and food this Saturday at Salt Lake City's inaugural Utah Brew Fest. I guess the simplest way to describe this latest evening out for beer enthusiasts would be to call it half beer festival - half home brewing convention.

Not only will you be able to sample home brews and locally made beer and spirits (free of charge) but you will have opportunities to attend seminars and lectures on topics such as:

Home Brewing 101
BJCP Exams
Recipe Formulation 101 - Moving Beyond the Kit
Introduction to Mead Making
Whiskey Sensory Workshop
Small Batch Cider
Brewing IPAs using Brettanomyces
Homebrewing Sours 

The Utah Brew Fest takes place Saturday, Dec.1st from 6pm - 11pm. at Impact Hub, located at 150 s. State Street in Salt Lake City.

Tickets are $45 general admission ticket ($55 day-of) includes a commemorative glass, craft beer and cocktail tastings, access to workshops (first-come, first-serve), entertainment, and keynote speakers. An $85 VIP ticket includes the above, as well as access to a special lounge area with unique beer tastings, libations, a mixologist, swag bags and hors d’oeuvres. Online ticket purchases can be found here.

Participating Breweries and Distillers include:

T.F. Brewing
Shades Brewing
RoHa Brewing Project
SaltFire Brewing
Kiitos Brewing
Cerveza Zólupez
Dented Brick Distillery
High West Distillery
Ogden’s Own Distillery

Organizers say, they’ve worked closely with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) on logistics and legality for this event to provide this unique single pay event.

Additional information can be found at the Utah Brew Fest's official webpage.

Cheers!

New Beer BLACK Friday 2018

I hope you're enjoying the long holiday weekend. There's not a lot of New Beer Friday action happening this week; what we do have is some interesting stuff that is all quite different from each other. Be safe out there.

Shades - Kveik 5: The fifth incarnation of Shades' Kveik is a golden sour ale infused with blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and blackberries. Its similar to the cherry version of Kveik but the flavors are much rounder with great fresh berry tartness. If you're into berry sours; you'll dig this. 6.3% - Available at Shades, Bayou, Beer Bar, Slackwater

Fisher - Feast Beer: This beer is basically an American imperial brown ale. You get a good dose of toasty malts up front but beneath you can tell there are plenty of caramel malts. Hop wise there's a huge amount of piney bitterness that helps dry out the whole package. 8.0% - at Fisher. 

Kiitos - Double Dry Hopped Pale Ale: Missed out on this one! If you're a fan of Mosaic hops you will likely love this one. You can be damn sure I'll be swilling one of these this afternoon though. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos.

Talisman - Barrel Aged Gingerbread Stout: This will be released later this morning. It's their gingerbread stout aged for 8 months in bourbon barrels. Damn, I need this! Not sure on the ABV, but it's upwards of 10.5% - Available only at Talisman.

Goose Island - Vanilla Bourbon County: The nose has a nice vanilla/Kahlua thing going on. Very nice. Big vanilla with maple and chocolate start off the taste. Wood and bourbon emerge soon after but it adds little in the way of heat. Dark malts and some molasses round it out with dark chocolate kicking in at the finish. The vanilla creates an almost marshmallow-like feels that leaves you in a s'more frame of mind. 13% - Available at Dick n Dixie's

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 11/16/18

In the immortal words of Positive Force - "we all got the funk (We got it), we got the funk, yeah".
'Nuf said. Happy New Beer Friday!

Talisman - Funky: This is Talisman's first barrel aged sour beer. It was created using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae during primary fermentation and then moved to barrels where it underwent a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. It was aged in the barrels for 10 months picking up some great barrel notes and allowing the brett-brux to work its magic.

Talisman's Funky is described as having all the classic Brett-Brux characteristics of leather, tart cherry, and barnyard with a pleasant amount of funkiness. It is a complex yet balanced beer that also has characteristics of plum, oaky wood, and faint hints of earthy spiciness. It has mild to moderate acidity that helps balance the funkiness and has a great lingering finish that is both dry and crisp. This is an EXTREMELY limited release; one bottle per person and there will be no holds. Funky goes on sale Saturday morning (11/17) at 11am.

Toasted Barrel - Imperial Pumpkin Saison: Haven't had this one yet it. It's described as being made with real pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamon. 10.5%. This is set to debut tomorrow at Brewstillery.

Four Sons - Black Currant Sour K: Lemony tartness as you'd expect from a Berliner style sour, then a good dose of black currants come in adding a smidge of sweetness and more berry tartness. Super tasty and refreshing. 4.0%. Found at Beer Bar.

Mother Earth - Four Seasons Autumn: This oat forward Imperial stout has the added benefit of toasted coconut to round out the the more roasty aspects of this beer. The result is a very enjoyable coconut/vanilla stout that's smooth and dangerously drinkable.12.5% - Currently available at Beerhive and Bayou

Cheers!

It's Time for the 2018 Utah Beer Blog's Holiday Bottle Share

Sorry, the Holiday Bottle share is full. Please feel free to request to be on the stand-by list. There are always cancellations, people will be added in the order received. Thanks again.

It's time for the biggest damn bottle share of them all - the 2018 Utah Beer Blog's Holiday Beer Tasting. Back in 2009, a handful of us local beer nerds decided that our cellars were too fat with brilliant beers and came to the realization that we were all better off sharing them rather than hoarding them.  Our aim was simple - bring a bottle to share and get to know the rest of our beer community. I don't think any of us were prepared for the enthusiastic responses we received to our invitation - the scope and generosity of those who attended blew us away.

First of all, this is the only invite to the bottle share. If you're reading this you know about the party. I'm sorry but my social media pages have thousands of followers; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter aren't conducive to having an intimate party of this size.

This year we are donating to the Utah Food Bank. Please plan on bringing a non-perishable food item with you. 

Other than that concept is simple. Bring a nice beer, cider or mead. It can be in a bottle, can, jug, keg or jeroboam as long as it's "special" to you and you think it would be nice to share. It doesn't have to be rare - expensive or outrageous. Just something that you enjoy. That being said, it is in poor taste to show up with a six pack of grocery store beer and ignore it while you enjoy the rarer beers on the table. You know who you are.   

Homebrew is absolutely welcome! We have some incredibly talented homebrewers in the area, if you've got something that you'd like to share please bring it. Give us a heads up if it's kegged so we can make sure we have the appropriate amount of room.

If you have a tasters glass or a piece of stemware please bring it, you'll be glad you did. Plastic cups will be provided but I'd hate for anyone to have to use them.

You are not allowed to open a beer that you did not bring. 

The Holiday Tasting will be held at a private home and it's location will be given out only to those who RSVP. We will have to put a cap on the number of people attending due to the size of the venue. So get your RSVP in ASAP.

We'd ask that this be limited to "Beer People". People who know beer or are interested in learning more about craft beer. Please feel free to bring a guest (two max) if you don't want to come solo.

Speaking of "Beer People". Some of our local craft brewers will be in attendance as well as industry professionals. It'll be a nice opportunity for you to get to know them - and they you.

Plan ahead for your ride home. In previous years we've been hit with serious stormy weather, while it made for a beautiful Holiday evening, it created some difficulty getting people out the door and to their home's safely.

So, here's the info your gunna need.

Date: December 15, 2018

Please RSVP to utahbeer@gmail.com (we filled up in 6 hours last year)

Absolutely no one under 21.

What: 1-2 bottles for tasting and sharing - tasters glass or stemware.

Non-perishable food item for the Utah Food Bank.


If you feel like bringing food to share, it will be appreciated but not required.

Questions and RSVP: utahbeer@gmail.com

Again, this post is the only invite to the gathering.

The Family and I are really looking forward to seeing you!

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 11/9/18

What a weird week; though it was good to see everyone involved in the political process. No matter where you fall politically, I think we can all agree we all deserve a beer this weekend. Happy New Beer Friday! Desert Edge - Alpha Coffee Lager:  This kelllerbier has cold brewed coffee added from Alpha Coffee, a veteran owned roaster that sends coffee to deployed troops. For every Alpha Coffee Lager that Desert Edge sells, DE will donate money to send 100lbs of Coffee. The beer is toasty and slightly malty with a pleasant coffee flavor that works quite well with the base beer. Great beer, great cause. 4.0% - Available at Desert Edge. Anchor - Our Special Ale 2018: This is the the 44th year of this beer and every year has been different. This version has a nice caramelized chocolaty quality with vague spices, estery banana and a good dose of piney hops. 6.9%. Available at DABC Rogue - Yellow Snow Pilsner: The beer is malt forward with biscuit notes and caramel sweetness. Hints of lemongrass and spruce emerge next; the hop balance isn't quite up to the levels it should be at it tends to rely a bit too much on the spruce tips for bittering. Not a bad beer; I like the spruce but it needs balance. Rogue - Counter Currant: This beer is defiantly fruit driven with black currants dominating the flavor profile. The fruit is tart and pleasant with a small dose of malt. You do get a tiny smack of hops in the end. Not bad. 6.4% - Available at DABC Snake River - Alpha Prime: Assertive grapefruit and pine combines nicely with tropical flavors and medium bitterness. The malt profile id pleasant and balanced with the hops. Nice IPA. 7.5% - Available at Slackwater Caldera - Dry Hop Orange: Toffee malts are present, with a hint of butter. A big than I'd orange pith taste comes in next, stomping out some of the malt's flaws. The end has a good dose of bitterness. 5.6% - Available at DABC, Beer Bar Caldera - Hopportunity Knocks: Orange and grapefruit flavors with pith; balanced by an interesting toffee malt profile - very floral with some pine in addition to the citrus - moderately bitter, but mostly sweet. 6.8% - Available at DABC, Beer Bar Caldera - IPA: Malt forward; caramel and toffee followed by floral & citrus hops. Bitter finish & aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium bodied moderate carbonation is creamy. 6.1% - Available at DABC, Beer Bar Caldera Mosaic IPA: Grapefruit peel is noticeable right off the bat. From there a good dose a buttery malt sweetness comes in. The end has a medium amount of hop bitterness. There a major diacetyl problem here (buttered popcorn). Not too good.   Caldera - Pale Ale: The aroma is citrusy with some pine hops and a good deal of bready malts. The taste is more bready malts and toffee upfront followed by some light citrus and pine. Bready finish. 5.5% - Available at DABC, Beer Bar Caldera - Ashland  Amber Ale: The nose was malty and sweet with caramel hints. Taste was malty with toffee and caramel notes with  grassy hops on the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel was full and creamy. 5.4% - Available at DABC, Beer Bar Samuel Smith - Yorkshire Stingo: Missed out on this one. 8.0% Available at Slackwater. On a side note: If you missed out on Squatters' Fifth Element release last weekend, well.... actually you didn't. There are still quite a few bottles left; so there ya go, get on that shit! Cheers!

New Beer - Brewery Friday 11/2/18

Three new breweries in three weeks? I'm pretty confident that this has never happened in Utah and it may never happen again. Salt lake's T.F. Brewing lasted only seven days as the new newness; passing the baton to Ogden's Cerveza Zólupez - a nano brewery that will specialize in craft brews with a south of the boarder flair. Congrats to Javier Chavez's on his new brewery.

Cerveza Zólupez Amber Ale: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), and Mexican canela (cinnamon sticks). Giving it a malty, rich caramelly taste- balanced- with a good whiff and aroma of cinnamon. Two different batches of this beer was made.  #1 (5.12%) - #2 (8.12%) Available at Cerveza Zólupez tomorrow (11/3)


Cerveza Zólupez IPA: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Blue Organic Agave from Mexico, and real lime peel (not concentrated lime flavor.) The lime peel, with the Citra hops, gives this IPA a hop forward fruit taste on the palate, and aroma lift to the nose. 7.63% - Available at Cerveza Zólupez  tomorrow (11/3)


 Epic Quadruple Baptist: The fourth incarnation (technically fifth) does not disappoint. The previous adjuncts of barrel aged coconut, cacao, and coffee is now combined with barrel aged almond creating a silky and smooth incarnation of Big Bad Baptist. The almond addition almost gives the whole chocolate/coffee/whiskey things and almost oat like quality that really sets it apart. If you're a fan of this series this one is a must for you. The version I had an ABV of 11.2%, but some are as high as 12.7% and as low as 10.3%  Available at Epic and soon to better beer pubs.

T.F. Brewing Northern Red Pale Ale: This is reminiscent of an old school pale. It has a medium light malt profile with hops that are citrus like to start then transition to more of a pine/herbal bitterness. Finishes dry. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing.

2 Row Raspberry Sticks: If you're a fan of chocolate raspberry sticks, then you'll love this new holiday beer from 2 Row. This beer mimics the holiday treat quite well. It's got a good balance of raspberry and chocolate; the raspberry is particularly tart and fruity. The chocolate part come courtesy of Millcreek Cacao Roasters, it's adds a nice silky element to the stout. A very nice beer. 8.3% - Available at 2 Row, Bayou and Beerhive 

Proper - Country Mack's Harvest Pale Ale: This just hit my radar this morning. It's described as an old school American Pale Ale made with six different hops; including Meridian, Wolf and Dr. Rudi Hops. It's said to be bitter and dank with notes of vanilla and crackery malts. 4.0% - Available at Proper.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 1: I missed these. A Brett Farmhouse ale aged in Waterpocket Distllery's Oread Botanical Liqueur. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 2: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 3: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Odell Isolation Ale: Has a nice aroma with caramel, citrus, and spices. The taste is sweet and malty with a slight bitterness. Starts with caramel, citrus, spices, and toasted malt. This is a malt driven beer that has enough bitterness to keep the the overall experience from getting too cloying. 6.0% - Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Odell Whiskey Barrel Aged Lugene: The original Lugene was mothballed last year. This stout is a nicely round chocolate stout that can be on the sweet side. Lot's of barrel notes including wood and vanilla. It's full of chocolate,and lactose along with some light notes of coffee, and surprising amount of hops on the back end. Almost has a liqueur feel. Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Saison Dupont: Light notes of clove, pink peppercorns, and a phenolic note cutting in. Nice peppery note at the front of the tongue, hint of bubble gum and sweetness, and a nice crisp finish. Super clean and refreshing. 6.5% - Available at the Bayou.

Speaking of the Bayou; they just got in a bunch of sour Belgian beers from Brouwerij Boon. I haven't had any of these yet, but my mouth is watering just thinking about them. These are in limited supply. get 'em before they're gone.

Boon Frambois
Boon Oude Gueze
Boon Oude Gueze Black Label
Boon Oude Gueze Mariage Parfait
Boon Oude Gueze - VAT 109
Brouwerij Van Steenberge - Tripel Van De Garre

Cheers!

New Beer/Brewery Friday 10/26/18

It seems like it's only been a week since we had a New Beer/Brewery Friday - because it has. Policy Kings' brief 10 day reign as the new guys is already over as the T.F. (Templin Family) Brewing Co. officially debuts today. Congrats to the Templin Family on making their dream a reality!

TF Brewing - Zitrone Wheat Ale: Pours straw yellow with aromas of floral hops and bread. The taste starts with malt and cereal, then it transitions to some subtle floral bitterness. Towards the end you get a some earthy flavor. Smooth and crisp; a nice wheat ale.4.0% Available at T.F. Brewing.

TF Brewing - Granary Kellerbier: Gold in color with orange highlights from the lack of filtering. The nose has creamy cereal-like malt, hints of wheat bread and fresh grassy herbs. The taste starts with floral hops, and whole grains. The flavors evolve into fresh biscuit while herbal-grassy hops build towards the end. The finish is creamy with some caramelized malt and a hint of sodium from the gas. So tasty! 4.0% Available at T.F. Brewing.

TF Brewing - Ethereal Leichte Weisse: hazy gold with a fluffy white head. Aroma mostly of wheat with some banana spice, and citrus as well. The taste starts with a nice balance of  wheat and yeast; with notes of banana, but also some orange and a little clove. This is nice play on the style and having it super fresh made it that much better. 4.0% Available at T.F. Brewing.

TF Brewing - American Avenue Pale Ale: Pours asemi-hazy orange color with a nose of adequate has floral and citrus. The flavor starts with bread and biscuit followed by a balanced citrusy hop character that complements the malt well. The mouthfeel is medium/light bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.
This is a nicely balanced, drinkable, enjoyable beer. The malt character is solid and the hops are intense and complementary. 4.0% Available at T.F. Brewing.

TF Brewing  - My Son Nitro Oat Porter: Dark brown, almost black with chestnut highlights with a beautiful khaki nitro foam cap. Aromas of chocolate, coffee and some toffee. Flavors are chocolate forward, both milk and bittersweet, with a jolt of bitter roasted coffee, crème and roasted grains throughout. A dry, light body keeps the drinkability sky high. The finish is smooth and dry. A solid nitro porter. 4.0% Available at T.F. Brewing.

TF Brewing - Ferda Double IPA: The only "high point" brew to debut at T.F. this week. It has a nice amber color with orage highlights and an aroma packed with floral, citrus, and berry notes. Well-balanced flavors, melding light cereal grains and strong yet restrained hop bitterness; low-key alcohol presence. Smooth, warm and toasty mouthfeel; fair amount of residual sugars yet not cloying.
A well-rounded DIPA bringing on lots of balanced flavors in the finish. 8.2% Available at T.F. Brewing.

Also today: Epic Brewing Company is having a party to re-launch their former "tapless taproom" and debut a new look for their core Utah brands. The brewery's pub was once only able to sit a mere six people which made it near impossible to get in on a busy day. Seating now has more than quadrupled and a line of taps should be in shortly.

2nd Tracks Sports will be set up outside today, offering ski tunings and a gear sale to get you ready for the ski season. Social Axe Throwing will also be set up on site to axe the old labels. Guests will have a chance to win prizes by throwing axes at the old bottle labels. The party starts at 6pm at the SLC brewery. Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

Your SLC Beer Event Calendar 10/24/18

I've compiled a list of things that are happening around Salt Lake City that will be happening over the next couple of months. Contacts the individual event organizers for more details.


Epic Taproom Grand Re-Opening: Oct 26th - Epic will be celebrating a few new changes on Friday October 26th by offering a selection of samples from the newly rebranded Utah series in the expanded and remodeled taproom with pairings of their famous paninis. 2nd Tracks Sports will be set up outside offering ski tunings and a gear sale to get you ready for the freshies. Social Axe Throwing will also be set up on site to axe the old labels. Guests will have a chance to win prizes by throwing axes at the old bottle labels. Both the retail, beer-to-go, and the taproom will be open seven days a week.

Craftoberfest: Oct 27th - The South Salt Lake Arts Council is celebrating the fact that soon they will have seven local breweries and distilleries in SSL offering craft beer and spirits! They will all be showcasing their products at Craftoberfest, along with craft sodas from Quench It! We will also be unveiling our Barrel and Keg art project by local artists! Live music by the Nate Robinson Trio & Thornton Jenkins, a trio of musicians from Mokie! Food trucks too! No tickets required. 193 w. 2100 s.

Beer Bourbon and BBQ: The Gateway Saturday, Oct 27th 4-10pm. Sample scary good bourbon, beer and BBQ while listening to the best U92 DJs. Costume contests, games and good times.
This event is free to attend, food from the likes of T's Bar & Grill, Bandera Brisket Texas Barbecue, Smokey Roberson's or Miss Essie's Southern BBQ. Bourbon from Outlaw Distillery Waterpocket Distillery, Ogden's Own Distillery Trendsetters, Dented Brick Distillery and brews from Shades of Pale Beer, Proper Brewing Co, Mountain West Hard Cider and Red Rock Brewing -- just to name a few. All samples are available to purchase on an individual basis.

Green Urban Lunchbox Hard Cider Release: Nov 17th - Join Mountain West Hard Cider and The Green Urban Lunch Box for their special release of GULB Hard Cider! This hyper-local, bottle-conditioned hard cider not only tastes good, but makes you feel good too! And we're not just talking about the 6.9% ABV either ... This hard cider was made from apples picked right from your neighbors yards! Pressed fresh at the cidery -- this is one cider that gives back to an incredible non-profit, providing fruit and vegetable shares, classes on urban farming, and other awesome community outreach endeavors. And guess what? For every bottle sold, Mountain West Hard Cider donates $5 back to The Green Urban Lunch Box. So good on YOU!

Slug Mag's Brewstillery: Nov 17th - SLUG Mag's Brewstillery, A Local Beer and Spirits Festival, celebrates Utah's breweries and distilleries by offering tastings of local beer and spirits. Featuring local food trucks, local artisans and crafters, a Gaming Area sponsored by Social Axe Throwing and local music—this 21+ only event has something for everyone to enjoy. SLUG Mag's Brewstillery, is now a bi-annual event happening each Spring and Fall. At the Union Event Center. Visit SLUGMag.com for more information about Brewstillery.

Utah Brewfest: Dec 1st - This seems to be part beer festival and part convention.Come to Utah Brew Fest if you: Love drinking unique craft beers - Are a current or aspiring brewer - Are interested in distilling spirituous liquors - Want to learn about bringing your creations to market - Enjoy having a good time and meeting cool people! Happening at Impact Hub in SLC. More info to to come.

Prost!   

New Beer/Brewery Friday 10/19/18

I loves me some New Beer/Brewery Friday. This edition features new beers from Cedar City's new Policy Kings Brewing Co. It's another good week for beer in Utah.

Speaking of new breweries; I've updated the Utah Brewery Map above, cleaned it up and added some logos on the pins to make it easier on the eye. You may see some interesting additions. Any feedback is welcome.

Policy Kings IPA: I've not tried this. Look for a west coast style IPA. 8.5% Available at Policy Kings

Policy Kings NE IPA: I've not tried this. Look for a North East Style IPA. It's described by some as having a little more bitterness than is typical for style 6.5%. Available at Policy Kings

Policy Kings Wheat Ale: I've not tried this. Look for a bready and toasty ale with little yeast esters. 6.5%. Available at Policy Kings

Fisher Whups Pale Ale: This "wet hop" pale ale was made with fresh Idaho 7 hops and boy does it taste fresh. It's simple clean and citrusy with medium bitterness. Made me wet.... er.... a fan, a wet hop fan I mean. 4.0%. Available at Fisher

Fisher Democracy Pale Ale: . medium malt sweetness with a salad of citrus, floral and piney hops. Another crushable pale ale. 4.0%. Available at Fisher

Fisher RYEot: Quite light in color. Another tasty pale ale, though the rye component is a little subdued. I'd love to taste more of the spic rye  4.0%. Available at Fisher.

New Belgium Oakspire: This beer is fairly malt forward with a good amount of oak and toasty flavors. The wood adds a slight vanilla quality. The ABV is very well hidden, be careful of this one. 9.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Dick n Dixies.

New Belgium Sour Saison: A medium amount of sourness here. I don't get a lot of saison here, but you can tell it's definitely a Belgian style base beer. Tasty. 7.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Beerhive.

New Belgium Honey Orange Tripel: Tastes of Orange peel, candied sugar, white bread, peach and vanilla. Definitely on the sweeter side of the style, but it's pleasing nonetheless. The honey is most prevelent in the finish. with some spicy notes from the yeast. 10.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Beerhive.

Cheers!

Policy King's Brewing Compny Debuts Today

Cedar City's Policy King's Brewing Company is officially the state of Utah's newest brewery today. The first beers out of the gate are one of the obscure IPA varietals. Simply called India Pale Ale, the beer is described as west coast style and has an ABV that is "to style". It goes on sale today from 10:30a to 7:00pm.

Other beer coming from Policy Kings include: N.E. Style IPA, Porter, Wheat Ale, Piisner, Stout and a Pale Ale. Policy Kings is located 223 n. 100 w. in Cedar City (I've included it in my Utah Beer Map above). The brewery's pub is still a few weeks away, stay close for that announcement as well.

Congrats to Cedar City's first brewery in well over a hundred years!

Photo Courtesy Policy Kings

New Beer Friday 10/12/18

I don't see what the big deal is. I mean brewers are artists; they create works of art that are immediately put through our own personal shredders, which are then (usually) discarded unceremoniously away from prying eyes. I submit to you the following works of art for you to do as you will. I'd recommend drinking them.

*Just added  Uinta Saddleback Brut IPA: light hay in color very clear with a hint of chill haze. The aroma is mostly light tangerine peel with floral notes. Very little in the way of malt sweetness, but you can tell it’s there. The bitterness is mostly citrus peel with more herbaceous hops and a hint of pine in the finish. Very dry, with prickly carbonation. 4.0%. Just released at Uinta’s pub in cans and on draft.
  
Toasted Barrel - Fresh Hop IPA: Sadly I missed this new fresh hop. I guess they used four pounds of fresh local hops in the whirlpool plus a healthy dose in dry hopping. The hops were provided and grown by James at Solstice Malt. It's described as a "very light, fresh and hoppy ale". 4.0%. Available at Toasted Barrel.

Toasted Barrel - Young Bruin: This sour brown ale is not your typical Oud Bruin, hence the name. The tartness has a lemony citrus twang with a moderate dose of toasted and caramel malts. It's not as fruity as you'd expect, but it does provide an adequate balance of tart malt. 5.9%. Available at Toasted Barrel, Beer Bar.

RoHa - Fuzzy Pucker: I missed out on this one. This a peach sour ale. 4.0%. I will have tasting notes for you later today at 3:30pm on KBER101 with Mick and Allen.

RoHa - Tile of Life: This is RoHa's Pale ale with Mosaic hops. As with the Fuzzy Pucker I'll have tasting notes at 3:30pm on KBER101. 

Talisman - Nut Brown Ale: Aroma is of toasted, nutty malt, chocolate, cacao and some piney hops. Body is light and slightly crisp. Taste is similar to aroma. Finish is long and semi-dry. Good session ale. Only on draft at Talisman

Squatters - Juicy IPA: I found this on draft at Beer Bar yesterday. It starts out like any other Juicy IPA with lots of nice tropical flavors then it switches gears with creamy milk sugars adding sweetness and body. I guess it's more of a milkshake IPA. Very tasty. 4.0%. 

Shades - Kveik #4: This is similar to Shades' gold medal winning Kveik #1, however this one was made with Galaxy, Mosaic and Citra hops vs #1's Nelson Savin hops. It also slightly sweeter which gives it a little more balance between malt and tart. Very nice sour. 6.3%. Available at Shades.

Boulevard - Love Child #9: Peppery cherry with balsamic sourness mixed with a medley of various berries. It's semi-dry, puckering and nicely balanced with a good dose of oak in the finish. Sour fans will like. 8.4%. Available at Beerhive and Bayou. 

Boulevard - Whiskey Barrel Stout: There’s a good dose of chocolate and roasted malt up front with slight coffee notes. The Barrel has a nice presences with complimenting vanilla. There is a bit of alcohol heat in the finish. Nice. 11.8%. Found at the Bayou.

Great Divide - Heyday Modern IPA: Citrus sweetness with a medium amount of caramel provide a nice platform for a generous amount of tropical and grapefruit bitterness. Finishes dry and slightly bitter with resinous pine. The alcohol is a comfortable 5.8%. Available at the Bayou.

Cheers!

A Templin Family Brewing Company Preview

At Salt Lake City's up and coming Templin Family Brewery beers are fermenting away in the new brew house, slowly maturing for their late October - early November debut. Owner and brewmaster, Kevin Templin  has a full book of new recipes; perfected and ready for our eventual enjoyment.

If you're curious, I have a preview of a small sampling of what you can expect in the coming months.

First we'll start with the Granary Kellerbier (pictured above). Granery; named for the brewery's neighborhood - which is looking to become the city's new brewery district is the perfect name for one of Templin's first brews. The Kellerbier style is one of the older German styles, dating back to the Middle Ages. Look for unfiltered lager that's rich in vitamins from the yeast with an agressive hop profile and sessionable alcohol. This will be offered on draft and in 1 pint cans.

I'm pretty sure it's a 'beer sin' not to offer at least one IPA. One of T.F Brewing's first of likely many hoppy ales will be the Ferda DIPA. Ferda is named for a hockey term that has its origins in Canada. When someone does something for the benefit of his teammates or pals it's known as a Ferda. Templin Created Red Rock's popular Elephino DIPA; this will be different from that but familiar in the ways you'd expect from a double IPA. Ferda will be 8.2% and offered in 1 pint cans.

The third preview beer is for T.F.'s Albion Trippel. Named for Utah's Albion Basin; located up Little Cottonwood Canyon, this beer will be a Belgian style Trippel Ale that will posses all of the complexities you'd expect from this sweet, spicy and alcoholic strong ale. This beer will dial in at 10.2% and will find itself placed into 1 pint cans as well.

Our last beer is the Ethereal Leichte Weisse (basically light wheat). The overall character of this beer will be cleaner and softer on the palate with more subtle banana like phenols - and of course that lovely hints of lemon. look for it on draft and in - you guessed it, 1 pint cans.

These are a just a sample of what's to come and a good indication of what you can expect from SLC's newest beer spot. Stay close for updates on T.F.'s official opening.

Prost!

Images found at Shipcomplient.com   

New Beer Friday 10/5/18

Fisher -"Yet Unnamed Lager": As of yesterday this beer had no name. It's a toasty and clean lager with pine like bitterness along with malts that lean towards caramel and almond. Kinda like a Altbier. 4.0%. Available at Fisher.

Saltfire - Wet Hop Lupulin Dew: I missed this one, but I hope to have tasting notes for you on this later today on New Beer Friday's segment on KBER101. That's at 3:30pm with Mick and Allen.

Toasted Barrel - Doll Face White IPA:  This Belgian influenced white IPA is described as being brewed with orange peel and coriander to compliment the tropical hops. This compilation creates a smooth, hoppy finish approaching a NE style IPA.

2 Row - Roll Out: This a new oatmeal Stout from 2 Row. It's 4.0% and sadly i missed it. It's only on draft at 2 Row, so bring your growlers.

Ballast Point/Western Standard - Saloon Lager: This barrel aged lager is a collaborative beer between Constellation Brands' Ballast Point Brewing and High West Distillery. It starts with a good dose of oak, marshmallow and bourbon. Some lager graininess emerges in the end. finishes semi hoppy. Don't judge this session barrel aged lager against the bigger bodied ales. Knowing this, you can now proceed. 5.2%. Available at The Bayou and select DABC stores.

Elysian - Punkuccino: I was really looking forward to this one; anticipation is always better I guess. A good dose of pumpkin spices start you off with some gourd flavors as well. After that you get mostly thin acidic coffee and a harsh bitter finish. 6.0%. I found it at Beer Bar. 

Elysian - The Great Pumpkin: Much better than the previous Elysian Pumpkin beer. Look for great pumpkin pie spices: nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and perhaps a touch of clove. There's a generous amount of malt backing this all up. 8.1%. Found at Beer Bar.

Odell - Jolly Russian: This Rum barrel aged Imperial Stout has notes of sweet rum followed by some heavy oak. Raisins, figs, tobacco and brown sugar.  Other rum notes make for a sweet offering, but the warming alcohol does a nice job of balancing the heavy sugars. 13.3%. Found at Beer Bar.

Odell - Double Pilsner: Toasted bread with grainy crackers start you off. From the you get a slight mineral bite that leads you to grassy and citrucy hops. Alcohol is evident put it is an Impy Pils. 9.0%. Found at Beer Bar

Stone - Enjoy By 10/31/18: These never seem to disappoint; some may be better than others, but IPA fans can usually agree that these are pretty decent beers. This one is no exception. It has great citrus notes with a fair amount of tropical-fruit-like hops. The malt balance is spot on with a descent amount of citrus peel and pine bitterness. It's damn yummy. 9.4%. Available at Beerhive, Bayou.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 9/28/18

Apparently today is National Drink a Beer Day. This being the case, I've found a nice round selection of local regional beers to help you accomplish this sacred national obligation.

It's also worth mentioning that Utah has two new breweries that have gone online and are now fermenting beer. Policy Kings Brewing located in Cedar City started brewing last week and will hopefully be selling their suds to our brothers and sisters in Southern Utah in the coming weeks. The Templin Family (TF) Brewery went online yesterday and hopes to be serving beer at their Granary neighborhood spot by the end of October. Congrats to Utah's newest beverage playgrounds!

Fisher Purple Power Sour: Black Currents were added to this new brew. They give it a deep purple color that is tinged towards the red. The taste is lemony tart as you'd expect, with a good amount of berry fruitiness. One of their better sours for sure. 4.0%. Only at Fisher

Fisher Best Fresh Citra Pale: The name says it all - whick means this probably won't be around very long. There's a good amount of citra hops in here, which gives it that nice tangerine zing. The malts are equally pronounced giving it an all around balance. Tasty! 4.0%. Only at Fisher 

Kiitos Barrel Aged Barley Wine: This new 13.0% Barley Wine is being released tomorrow to celebrate Kiitos' one year anniversary. Look for big toffee, tobacco and dark fruits combined with bourbon and oaky vanilla. Boom!

Kiitos Fruit Milkshake: A bright red fruit blast, mostly raspberries with some blueberries and plums as well. Kiitos used over 1.5 pounds of fruit per gallon of beer and it tastes like a smoothie. Available in cans and on draft. 4.0% Available 9/29

Kiitos Marzen: is an amber lager and is their take on an Oktoberfest style beer. The beer is malt forward and very crisp. Available on draft only. 4.0% Available 9/29

Kiitos Session Brut IPA: is very light and dry with high carbonation allowing the citrus hop flavors to shine with no bitterness. Available in cans and on draft. 4.0% Available 9/29

Red Rock Fallen: This non traditional Dunkle is dark brown in color with aromas of dark malts, some cacao notes, banana and a touch of resiny hops. Taste has a somewhat spicy quality due to the ginger. The malts are semi-sweet and bready with cacao, banana, clove and lemon. It finishes with some citrusy hops. Medium/light body and carbonation. A nice twist on the Dunkle style, I think you'll like it. 4.0%. This should be hitting Harmon's Grocery stores anytime. 

Zion Pecan Nut Brown: A medium amount of sweet malts combined with toasted grain and pecans make this brown ale the perfect autumn companion. I fell in love with beer on the first sip. Very  satisfying and appropriatly complex for it's 4.0% ABV. Available At Zion Canyon's Brewpub and at Beer Bar for a limited time.

Wasatch Clothing Hoptional: While this beer isn't technically new, the use of the wild Summit County hops keep it different every year; so let's call it new. The addition of local malt makes it a true local beer. This beer debuts Saturday, 29th. at Wasatch's original Park City brewery.   

Desert Edge Fresh Hop Ale. This is an unfiltered pale ale brewed with farm fresh Citra hops used within 24 hours of harvest. Using fresh undried hops bring out subtle floral qualities usually lost in the drying process. This beer has light malt character and low bitterness to let those fresh flavors of peachy, citrusy, goodness stand out. 4.0%. Available at Desert Edge.

Desert Edge CitraNali Pale Ale: This unfiltered pale ale is brewed with lots of Citra and Denali hops for a bold hoppy ale full of bright grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors. Light malty background with high bitterness and dry finish. 4.0%. Available at Desert Edge.

Deschutes Hopzeit Autumn IPA: It starts off with toasted/bready malts and light caramel. The citrus and tropical flavors from the from the hops blend nicely with malts making it very drinkable. The finish has a nice dose of spicy/herbal bitterness. 7.0%. Available at DABC and better beer pubs.

Silver Moon Mango Daze: This is a new brewery to hit our market, it quietly slipped in from Bend, Oregon. It opens orange zest and mango. Tropical and citrusy hops dominate though, creating a nice fruit salad effect. The mango adds to the hop character in a way that seems natural and purposeful.   Mid way through you get mild toast/caramel notes with a finish that is mildly dry and acidic. Nice beer. 6.0%. Available at DABC and better beer pubs.

Dogfish Head Fruitful Fort: This beastly fruit beer dials in at whopping 18%. I don't want to over describe this beer's complexities because there's a lot going on here and it's not going to be everyone's jam. Look for chewy molasses along with concord grape, blueberry and raspberry. Calling it full bodied would be an understatement. It finishes super boozy and astringent. I'd grab some of these and cellar them for a few years. A little time in the bottle will hopefully mellow this fucker out. I found this at Beer Bar.

I'll be discussing these beers and other random beer topics this afternoon with Mick and Allen on KBER101 at 3:30pm. Please tune in.

Cheers!

New Brews Soon For You: September 2018

In today's preview of new brews that are coming soon for your consumption we have what looks to be a shload of new IPAs; guaranteed to cuddle your inner hop fiend. The breweries creating these beers have not officially announced release dates on these, but trust I will let you know when they hit shelves/taps. 

Saltfire We Hop - Lupulin Dew: That gorgeous label pictured above is for Salfires new Wet Hop Ale. Wet Hop IPAs require that hops hit the brew in less than 24 hours from the time they were picked. This can be expensive due to overnight shipping costs but the taste is well worth it.

Saltfire Frankly Mr. Shankly: This IPA is Saltfire's entry into the Hazy IPA game. Look for low bitterness, a high amount of tropical/fruity hops and alomg with a good dose of malts. 

Proper Hopothetical: This experimental IPA series from Proper will feature - whatever the hell the
boys and girls at Proper want. This "mad scientist" beer will hit whenever with whatever. Hopefully sooner than later.

Vernal Autumn Harvest: I love Harvest ales! They're always so fresh and bright and they seem to add more flavor than the typical beers especially when the air outside tends to get a little crisp. This won't be your typical harvest beer. This one will dial in at a hefty 10%. Boom!

Talisman One-Off Ale: You're not going to get a lengthy description here. The name says it all; look for another whatever/whenever beer from high to low ABV. I do know that whatever these beers turn out to be, they'll be in 22 ounce bombers. Seriously, It's a great thing when breweries invest in experimental one off beers. 

RoHa Shambo: Another New England style is headed our way. Shambo is a the RoHa brewing Project's ante into the hazy IPA poker game. This one will come in at 7.0% ABV and should feature a fruit salad of tropicaL and citrus delights. All that and a handy 12 ounce can.


Uinta Pack it Out: This new IPA from Uinta describes itself as being "unfiltered" not hazy so you can
take that to mean whatever the hell you want. Uinta does a pretty good job with their IPAs, even at session strength. They hope you'll take this 4.0% beer with you when recreating in the greatnewss that is Utah. Remeber to pack it out after you pack it in. 

Cheers!

Images found at Shipcomplient.com